Improvement in repeating fire-arms



E. MAHER. I Repeating Fife Arm.

Patented May 6, 1862.

W/ T/Vfs 55 W PATENT OFFIca;

EDMUND'MAHER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification forming part of- Letters Patent No. 35,167, dated May 6, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that 1, EDMUND MAKER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Improvementin Guns; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification. Figure 1 is a vertical and longitudinal section in part of the improved gun. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of same at theline 1 20f Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a rear elevation of same. Fig.4 is a side view of the transverse shaft and grooved cam for alternately giving motion to and holding the magazine or cartridge-chamber bar.

Similar letters in the figures refer to corresponding parts.

This invention relates to that class of guns having movable magazines or charged cartridge-chamber bars at the open breech end of the barrel and itconsists in the employmentof a peculiar-formed grooved cam secured on a horizontally-revolvin g shaft immediately below the said magazine or chambered bar, and in such relation to studs or pins and. grooves on 'the lower surface of the same as by its continued rotation to successively move the cartridgechambers in the bar immediately opposite the breech end of the barrel and hold them in that position the required time to be fired, thus by a single device performing two functions in such a manner that the greatest accuracy in the position of the cartridge-chamber relatively to the bore of the gun is attained and that firmness of hold so necessary at the time of firing between the parts produced, not depending upon a spring-dog or cog-teeth of a rack and pinion therefor, but upon rigid tongues and grooves combined with studs and right-angled portions of the flanges of the cam, said parts making as snug a fit between one another as is practicable, while they are free to move out of contact without friction at each adjustment of the charged chamber-bar; and also in providing a means of moving the entire gun a slight distance on its pivot sithe bore of the gun. V gle rank or platoon of men, the necessity of the-respective charged chambers in line with In the advance of a' sinhaving a sure aim and steady meansof changing the aim to freshpoin-ts must be obvious.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The gun-barrel A, which isdesigned to be of the ordinary musket size, is screwed or otherwise secured in a stock or frame, B, properly pivoted below on an adjustable frame'of a suitable carriage-tripod or other support. The open breech end of the barrel is even with the forward surface of a smooth rectangular transverse space in the stock or. frame, in which spacethe magazine or chambered bar 0 fits tightly, so that when the chambers D in the same,*which are on the same horizontal plane and exactly correspond with caliber of the gun-barrel, are brought in the rear of said barrel they shall form a tightly-joined continuation of the same;

To the lower surface of the chambered bar 0 are secured on line a series of steel pins or studs, E, one being arranged immediately be low the center of each cartridge-chamber I); and a short distance below this lineofpins or studs E is arranged a transverse vshaft, F, turning in boxes at the lower ends of projections or lugs cast on the lower part of the stock'or frame B, and having a peculiar-formed grooved cam-hub, G, formed or secured on it between its boxes. The groove G in this hub G ex tends around the periphery of the same, at right angles to the line of the shaft, one-half its circumference, and thence diagonally thereto or spirally the remaining half in such a manner and at such an'angle as to cause it to terminate on line with the commencement of the right angled portion, and the distance between the center of this end and the center of the said right-angled portion to correspond with the distance between the centers of the steel pins or studs E, and consequently the centers of the chambers D. The steel pins or studs E exactly fit in this groove G, and its right-angled portion being on the same vertical line as the center of the gun-barrel, it follows that during the passage or turning of this portion of the groove past any one of the pins or studs E that may be in it the chamber above said pin or stud will be immediately in the rear of and on line with the bore of the gun-barrel, and that im= mediately upon the said pin or stud being dis: engaged therefrom the next pin or stud in the series will enter and be taken hold of by the diagonal portion of said groove G to bring another cartridge-chamber next the barrel in line' with it. v

In order to more firmly hold the chambered bar 0 in place with thechambers opposite the gun-barrel, a rib, H, is'formed or secured on the periphery of the grooved cam-hub G parallel with and next the straight portion of the groove G, which rib H, during its revolution and while the chambers D remain opposite the gun-barrel, enters corresponding grooves, S, in the lower surface of the chambered bar 0, midway between the steel pins or studsE. I

Around the socket-piece S of the pivot of the frame or-stock B is placed loosely a metallic ring, I, to which is pivoted a friction-lever pawl, K, having a slot, 8, formed in its long portion, through which passes the screw-shank of an adjustable sliding box or ear-piece, L, having the end ofa pitman-rod, M,jointed to it. The opposite endof this pitman-rod M has a ring-strap attached to it, which strap passes around an eccentric, N, secured by a set-screw on the transverse shaft E, so that with every revolution of the shaft F a slight vibratory movement backward and forward will be given the slottted arm ofthefriction-pawl K, the forward movement causing the said friction-pawl piece S and turn the gun slightlyon its pivot,

and the backward movement causing the arm .moved and secured in the slotsof the friction pawl arm nearer to or farther from the pivot,

bring the first of the series of pins or studs E against the hub G on line with the extreme forward end of the diagonal or spiral portion of the groove G, and a continuous motion is given the shaft F by any well-known means. A crank-shaft geared to the shaft F is preferred. This causes the chambers D in the chambered bar 0 to be successively brought opposite the gun-barrel through the action of spiral, or diagonal portion of the groove G, and held in that position through the action of the straight portion of the same on said pins E, assistance in this last being rendered by the rib H entering the grooves in the bar until fired by means of the cum 1? on the transverse shaft F operating on the spring percussionhammer Q.. With every revolution of the transverse shaft F the gun will be moved on 1 its pivot a slight distance through the' agency of theeccentrie N and its attachments, as before stated, to alter its aim, and when one magazine or chambered bar 0 has been fired a freshly-charged one may be inserted in the space inthe stock or frame B to follow it, so as to continue the firing to any number of shots desired. to press against and take hold of -the socket- What I claim. as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the rib H, flanged and grooved hub GG', and recesses and grooves S of the chambered bar 0, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. Combining with thegnn the ring I, friction-pawl K, with slottedarm, and the parts attached thereto, for giving a slight movement to the gun on its pivot at every revolution of the transverse shaft F, as herein fully set forth.

E. MAHER.

Witnesses:

' EDWARD W. MAGENS,

S. OLMAHER. 

